Sri Caitanya-caritmrta | The Hare Krishna Movement

The Song to the Bumblebee

01 Oct 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimati Radharani Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bumblebee-and-radharani, faith, God, gopis, Krsna Book, radharani-speaks-with-bumblebee, Sri Caitanya-caritmrta, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati Radharani, writing

I have always enjoyed this pastime of Srimati Radharani’s talks with the Bumblebee. Every time I see a bumblebee in my garden I am reminded of these talks.

The pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa are uncommonly full of transcendental potency. It is a characteristic of such pastimes that they do not fall within the jurisdiction of experimental logic and arguments. (Cc. Antya 19.103)

When transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa awakens in one’s heart, even a learned scholar cannot comprehend one’s activities. (Cc. Antya 19.104)

“The activities and symptoms of that exalted personality in whose heart love of Godhead has awakened cannot be understood even by the most learned scholar.” (Cc. Antya 19.105)

The evidence of the truth of these talks is found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There, in the section of the Tenth Canto known as the Bhramara-gītā, “the Song to the Bumblebee,” Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī speaks insanely in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. (Cc. Antya 19.107)

Just try to hear these topics with faith, for there is great pleasure even in hearing them. That hearing will destroy all miseries pertaining to the body, mind and other living entities, and the unhappiness of false arguments as well. (Cc. Antya 19.110)

The Song to the Bumblebee

When Uddhava arrived from Mathurā carrying a message for the gopīs, the gopīs began talking about Kṛṣṇa and crying. Then one important gopī saw a bumblebee and began speaking to it like someone mad, thinking that the bee was a messenger of Uddhava’s or was someone very dear to him and Kṛṣṇa. The verses are as follows:

“My dear bumblebee, you are a very cunning friend of Uddhava and Kṛṣṇa. You are very expert in touching people’s feet, but I am not going to be misled by this. You appear to have sat on the breasts of one of Kṛṣṇa’s friends, for I see that you have kuṅkuma dust on your mustache. Kṛṣṇa is now engaged in flattering all His young girl friends in Mathurā. Therefore, now that He can be called a friend of the residents of Mathurā, He does not need the help of the residents of Vṛndāvana. He has no reason to satisfy us gopīs. Since you are the messenger of such a person as He, what is the use of your presence here? Certainly Kṛṣṇa would be ashamed of your presence in this assembly.”

How has Kṛṣṇa offended the gopīs so that they want to reject Him from their minds? The answer is given as follows:

The Sublime Mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

13 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Consciousness, Spiritual Life, Spiritual Master, Srimad Bhagavatam, Uncategorized Tags: Bhagavad-gita, hinduism, India, Iskcon, Krishna, religion, spirituality, Sri Caitanya-caritmrta, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, yare-dekha

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

I have been carrying around a little piece of paper in my wallet, with the words yare dekha, tare kaha on it. I finally went to Vaniquotes to see what these words implied.

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa (Cc Madhya 7.128)

“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

…the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

…The real purpose of human life is to attain the spiritual platform and return to Godhead. That is the summum bonum of spiritual realization. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His advice to the brāhmaṇa Kūrma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preach the instructions of Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. (from purport)

“Whomever you meet, simply talk with him about the instructions given by Kṛṣṇa or tell him of narrations about Kṛṣṇa.” (SB 4.23.38)

Disappearance of Isvara Puri

08 Mar 2013 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Disciplic succession, Isvara Puri, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta Tags: disciple of madhavendra puri, Hare Krsna Maha-mantra, Isvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, Madhavendra Puri, spiritual master, spiritual master of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-caritmrta, usvara-puri gosani fare

Today is the the Disappearance of Śrī Īśvara Purī who was the spiritual master of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Even though Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Godhead, did not need a spiritual master, He accepted Śrī Īśvara Purī as His guru to establish the importance of accepting a spiritual master. In honor of his disappearance we are posting one verse from the Sri Caitanya-caritmrta describing the service he rendered to his spiritual master Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī.

…”At the last stage of his life Śrī Mādhavendra Purī became an invalid and was completely unable to move, and Īśvara Purī so completely engaged himself in his service that he personally cleaned up his stool and urine. Always chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and reminding Śrī Mādhavendra Purī about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the last stage of his life, Īśvara Purī gave the best service among his disciples. Thus Mādhavendra Purī, being very pleased with him, blessed him, saying, ‘My dear boy, I can only pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will be pleased with you.’ Thus Īśvara Purī, by the grace of his spiritual master, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, became a great devotee in the ocean of love of Godhead.”

The Appearance of Radha-kund

07 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radha-kunda, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srimati Radharani Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi 4.215, appearance of radha kund, gopis, Madhya-lila 18.3-7, Radha Kund, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-caritmrta, Srimati Radharani

As today marks the appearance of Radha-kund we are honored to post from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, a few select verses from Madhya-lila 18.3-7. Radha-kunda is considered to be the holiest place on earth for all Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in ecstasy, but when He arrived at Āriṭgrāma, His sense perception was awakened.

PURPORT

Āriṭ-grāma is also called Ariṣṭa-grāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that in that village, Ariṣṭāsura was killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While there, He inquired about Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but no one could tell Him where it was. The brāhmaṇa accompanying Him could also not ascertain its whereabouts. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could then understand that the holy places known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were at that time lost to everyone’s vision. He therefore discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which were two reservoirs of water in two paddy fields. Although there was very little water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was omniscient and could understand that formerly these two ponds were called Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. In this way Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were discovered.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the local people,”Where is Rādhā-kunda?” No one could inform Him, and the brāhmaṇa accompanying Him did not know either.

The Lord then understood that the holy place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa was no longer visible. However, being the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, He discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa in two paddy fields. There was only a little water, but He took His bath there.

When the people of the village saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taking His bath in those two ponds in the middle of the paddy fields, they were very astonished. The Lord then offered His prayers to Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

“Of all the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Also this from Adi-lila More

Srila Prabhupada, His Movement and You

10 Sep 2011 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Hansadutta das, Nam Hatta, Practicing Krishna Consciousness at Home, Srila Prabhupada His Movement & You Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, guru, hansadutta das, ISKCON GBC, Lord Caitanya, Nam Hatta, Sri Caitanya-caritmrta, Srila Prabhupada

Devotees keep asking themselves, “How will the Krishna consciousness movement spread under the present circumstances?”

They observe the lame leadership and feel personally helpless to make any change or contribution toward rectifying the situation or themselves. The answer to this debilitating state of thought is to see one’s self in the correct spiritual perspective. The devotees who helped Prabhupada spread his movement ISKCON are the same ones who can and will spread Krishna consciousness now and in the future. All that is required is that each individual devotee see himself as the servant of Prabhupada, now exactly as he was then (when Prabhupada was present)…

“The temple center is started just to present an example to the neighboring residents, how they can make a small temple in each and every home. It is not necessary that hundreds and thousands of people will live in our temple, but if we can make effective propaganda, then the neighboring residents, householders, will be inclined to be initiated and follow the modes of temple life. So you can encourage the visitors, boys and girls, as well as married couples, to understand the value of life and how they can peacefully and happily live if they follow the routine worship method in the temple and establish this in their home to be happy in all respects.” (Srila Prabhupada, letter to Tamal Krishna, June 1, 1969)

Nam Hatta: The Onus is On You
By Sriman Hansadutta Prabhu

Because of the circumstances under which most of Prabhupada’s early disciples joined the movement, a widespread misunderstanding has become a great obstacle for people in general to accept and practice Krishna consciousness in a realistic and progressive way under all circumstances. That misunderstanding is that a serious candidate for accepting and advancing in Krishna consciousness must abandon his worldly environment and responsibilities to join a temple ashram and live a communal or communistic life style under the rigid authority of an ISKCON GBC or guru. Nothing could be further from the truth, as we can plainly understand from the following descriptions of Lord Chaitanya’s preaching method and Prabhupada’s purports, which clearly support and obviously encourage the process introduced by Lord Chaitanya in His dealing with the Kurma brahmana and everyone He encountered throughout His two years of traveling and preaching in South India.